moving forward, one step at a time

Running races back to back weekends

This Sunday I’ll be running my second half marathon in seven days (Urban Cow Half last weekend, and NWM Half this weekend). Racing on back-to-back weekends can be difficult on the body with the increased speed and intensity of the race environment.

In a previous post (here), I mentioned that I wanted to take the NWM Half easier and just enjoy the experience. Sometimes if you are planning to run two races back to back, it can help to plan to race harder at one over the other.

This article also sites a few other ideas of ways to be well rested and ready for a second race, including:-massage (to flush out lactic acid, and aid recovery)-keeping mid-week runs easy, shorter and more aerobi -engage in other cross training (bicycling, walking, eliptical) -listen to the body in the week between races to be sure you are adequately prepared for the second race (be flexible with your plans)-continue to eat well (with familiar foods) and get lots of rest-be sure to be adequately trained to run two consecutive race weekends (be mentally prepared)

Since I ran so well last weekend, I am considering really racing the Nike Women’s race as well, but my key will still be to have FUN! I think my legs feel pretty fully recovered, but I will see how things go during my last easy run tomorrow morning. I’m working on staying hydrated, stretching, and keeping my runs easy. Hopefully I’ll be ready to go Sunday morning!